Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 17:29:59 -0700
From: "Tom Witt" <wittsend@jps.net>
Subject: RE: Down under
Brent,
I too have been "down under". Depending on what extent your car is
dis-assembled, and what of the original frame paint (as well as the opposing
side of the metal) you want to preserve I recommend using a propane torch.
It heats up rather easily (wave it around the area slowly), softens and
scrapes off. There is a 50-50 chance you will take the paint off as well.
Though not a clean proposition I found it to be less messy than a powered
wire wheel, or sandblasting. I used a 1" metal putty knife, and a hand held
wire brush. Work away from yourself so less will fall upon you. CAUTION!!!
Make sure that nothing you want to preserve will be affected by the heat,
especially on the other side of the area you are heating. At least a few
times now I have rescued the battery cable, and wiring harness at close to
the meltdown point.
Below is from a previous post I sent, but I think you can (or will) be able
to relate:
Well I have nearly finished heating,scraping and wire wheeling all the
undercoat, paint and rust from the underside, trunk floor and interior floor
(I really envy you "dippers"). It's not all done, but for the sake of sanity
chose the interior crossmember as a Mason - Dixon line. Do they give out a
patch for this? Sure it's a job primarily done lying down, but its
claustrophobic. I have breathed enough rust to make my own "Iron Lung." I
have lit myself on fire with the propane torch (and didn't know it for a few
minutes). I have been porcupined by the dozen or so wire wheels that have
disintigrated on my angle grinder. I have dropped a spinning grinder on my
chest and watch it race for my face only to be halted as it wrapped my sweat
shirt and dug into my skin. I have come to know sections of the
undercarriage as "neighborhoods" (and some I don't want to go into). My kids
think "working on the Tiger" is my day job (I teach and have a few weeks
off) and I come home looking like a coal miner. My neighbors hope for
rolling blackouts so the forty some hours of noise from the angle grinder
will finally stop. I hate it, but I love it (if you know what I mean).
All the best in your endevor. Tom Witt B9470101
Tom, thanks for the info. I can relate to all your experiences. This has been
the filthiest
job I have performed on the car yet. Another thing I have come across is the
cross
member from the exhaust cutouts to the cross is packed full of 36 years of
rocks sand,
dirt, and who knows. It looks sort of like peat moss.I'm working with some
screw drivers
and a long skinny hose hooked to the shopvac to get it out of there. I'm
trying to come
up with a way to get it clean enough to apply a finish to it. I can't use the
garden hose
method as the car is disassembled in the garage. Any I deas?
Brent, B9471023<br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN
Explorer at <a
href="http://explorer.msn.com";>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>
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